Spirit
by FigFan
Summary: What's better than carby fuzz? Christmas carby fuzz!


Title: Spirit  
  
Author: FigFan  
  
Rating: PG.  
  
Spoilers: Oh geeze. Like. none.  
  
Summary: Just a bit of holiday cheer.  
  
Authors Notes: Mmmhmm. This is like. So grossly sweet. I know it. I just had to get it out of my system. I'm angsting myself out with the post-Next of Kin fic... I just needed a break. As always, thanks to Edna for letting me feed lines to her.. even over her cell phone. ;)  
  
Feedback is as good as naked Carter. FigFan2002@yahoo.com  
  
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I'm in the midst of unwrapping the 3rd box of ornaments when I feel his arms slide around my waist from behind.  
  
".. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire."  
  
I shake my head and laugh. "You can't sing, you know."  
  
He drops a kiss on my neck. "Yeah, but that's why you love me."  
  
"Hardly. Why are we putting this all up today anyways?"  
  
"Its December 1st. Need to get into the spirit." He detaches from me and turns back to the tree. Neither of us was ambitious enough to get a real one, so our tree is currently in heaps on the floor.  
  
Our tree. That's an interesting thing to ponder. We've been living together for a little over a month now, but there are still times where it doesn't seem real. I smile in anticipation of the first real Christmas I'll really ever have. Sure, there were a few years when Maggie was on her meds when we were kids; but there was always the fear that we would wake up Christmas morning to find the ornaments shattered, wrapping paper tattered, and stockings on the floor.  
  
It happened more than once.  
  
I don't really have that Christmas spirit.  
  
"Earth to Abby."  
  
I turn around to see him sprawled out on the floor, trying to put the base of the tree together.  
  
"Mm?"  
  
"I was asking you a question. you seemed like you were light years away."  
  
"Sorry. I was thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
I smile and kneel down next to him. "Christmas. I'm really excited about it."  
  
He grins. "I'm excited to be spending it with you too."  
  
"Wait, who said anything about spending it with you? I'm just excited about having a rich boyfriend. Think of all those presents."  
  
He rolls over and grabs me, pulling me down on top of him. We're so close our noses are touching. "I didn't buy you any presents.."  
  
I think about making some crack about leaving, but I get a better idea.  
  
I pull him up so he's in a sitting position and grab the string of lights that's next to him.  
  
"Don't move," I command.  
  
I wrap the lights around him, covering him from the waist up. Plugging them into the wall, I smile at my creation.  
  
"You're my very own Christmas tree."  
  
I'm quite surprised that he's sit still through all of this, and my suspicions are quickly confirmed. He tackles me once again and the lights make colorful patterns against his black sweater. He leans in to kiss me and I burst out laughing. I just can't help it.  
  
"What?" He moves to sit up and tangles the lights around him more in the process.  
  
"I can't believe I'm doing this."  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
I move to start untangling him from the lights. I unravel the strand from around his head and kiss him on the nose. "All this. Decorating a place for Christmas, not worrying about anything in the world for a night."  
  
He's free from the lights now, and stands up. I look up at him and he extends his hands to help me to my feet. A bit of a tug, and I'm nestled in his embrace. "You deserve it."  
  
I love this man. I don't deserve this, or him. But this isn't a night where I'm going to argue. So I kiss him softly and whisper, "Let's get this tree up."  
  
He releases me and I go back to unpacking all of his ornaments. I really never had a tree of my own, life was always too hectic. Richard and I tried to cut one down once, but we never got past the lodge. An argument about what type to get ended up with him driving off in a huff, leaving me to find my own way home. Carter, however, has an abundance of ornaments, and is insisting on putting them all on the tree. Most of them are the traditional balls and apples and candy canes, but every so often I come across one that I can only describe in one way.  
  
Boy.  
  
Giggling, I pick up a racecar, complete with flashing lights and functional doors. I press the button on the top and it makes a whirring noise, accompanied by screeching tires.  
  
He snaps his head at the sound, and I just hold it up with a smirk on my face.  
  
"It makes noise!"  
  
I just laugh and put it back in the pile. I hear some scuffling from behind the tree, mixed in with the occasional swear from Carter.  
  
"What are you doing back there?"  
  
I get a grunt in response.  
  
"Carter? You need help?"  
  
"Don't turn around!"  
  
I make a big deal about staying put, and he comes over to me and places his hand over my eyes. He turns me around slowly and tells me to look at the tree.  
  
The tree now has lights on it. Alright. That's great.  
  
I look over at him and he's got a goofy grin on his face. "They twinkle!"  
  
"You're such a dork." The tree does look good though.  
  
He hands me some ornaments and we start to place them on the tree.  
  
". Jack Frost nipping at your nose."  
  
It's an hour later, and the ornaments are all up. The only thing left to do is tie the bows on. He's standing behind me, playing with my ponytail as I tie one on a top branch.  
  
"Hey, let go. I can't reach the tree."  
  
"Hold on."  
  
"Carter? What are you doing?"  
  
"Hold on! There."  
  
"Carter."  
  
I look over at the mirror on the wall and see that he's tied a bow into my hair.  
  
"You're all wrapped up now. My present."  
  
I pull him close and run my hands under his shirt. "Mmhmm. and are you gonna unwrap me later?"  
  
"If you're nice, sure."  
  
I could take him right then and there, but we have a tree to finish, and two other boxes to unpack. So a bit reluctantly I move away again and finish tying the last few bows on the tree.  
  
He watches me work, and when I'm finished he pulls me onto the couch. I sit down cross-legged beside him and open up one of the remaining boxes.  
  
"So, what's in here?"  
  
"Random stuff. Stockings, garland, nutcrackers."  
  
"You own a nutcracker?"  
  
"Even better. I own a nutcracker shaped like Mickey Mouse."  
  
I roll my eyes just enough so he can see me. "Where did you get all this anyways?"  
  
He starts rummaging through the last box as he answers. "I lived in a big house, remember?"  
  
"Right, right. I bet you probably had your own Santa too."  
  
He throws some garland at me in retaliation.  
  
"Oh, that's it, Johnny boy. You're done for." I grab a pillow and lunge towards him.  
  
"What are you going to do? Smother me?"  
  
"You know, that's an idea-" I shriek as he starts tickling me with the tinsel. "Okay! Okay! You win."  
  
"I knew I would."  
  
I notice that during our battle the box has fallen off the couch and its contents have spilled onto the floor. I look down and grab an interesting. contraption.  
  
"What the hell is this?"  
  
He looks to see what I've picked up and smiles. "It's a headband."  
  
"I see that. I'm going to skip the obvious question of why you would have a headband, and go right to asking what's on top of it."  
  
"Put it on."  
  
"What? No way. Why?"  
  
"Because it's my favorite decoration."  
  
I look at it again, puzzled. Almost instantly I figure out why this would be his favorite decoration. It's a headband, yes.  
  
But it has a piece of mistletoe on it.  
  
I feel a bit stupid, but I put it on anyways in anticipation of what'll come next. "And why is it your favorite?"  
  
"'Cause then I have an excuse to do this." He reaches over and kisses me. It's soft, but passionate, and when he pulls away I shake my head.  
  
"You don't need an excuse to do that."  
  
He tilts his head at me and then leans down again. "I know. I just thought you looked cute in the headband."  
  
"Mmhmm. I bet you would too."  
  
He laughs softly and waves a finger at me. "Oh no, you don't."  
  
"Yeah, you're right. You wouldn't." I take the headband off and throw it on the ground. I look up at him, and then back down at the piles on the floor.  
  
I think we've unpacked enough for tonight.  
  
I curl into the curve of his body and take his hand in mine. "The tree looks good," I murmur.  
  
"Yeah. It does."  
  
I smile as he kisses my hair. It's quite amazing how I can be so content just lying in his arms.  
  
"Hey look, you're twinkling."  
  
I look up at him. "Hmm?"  
  
He shifts so I can see our reflection in the mirror. Sure enough, the lights are bouncing off of us, creating a twinkling effect.  
  
He squeezes me tighter and whispers into my ear. "It's the Christmas spirit. Can you feel it now?"  
  
I watch the lights sparkle and tilt my head up to look at him. "Yeah," I murmur.  
  
He leans down to kiss me and I smile in anticipation.  
  
Christmas spirit? Yeah, I can do that. 


End file.
